


Questions can be predicaments

by DarkSilverWings



Series: Careful with my heartstrings [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff, Hes hella gone, Kissing, M/M, Mido just wants to kiss Akashi, Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, for the whole thing, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 02:18:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15831738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkSilverWings/pseuds/DarkSilverWings
Summary: How is he supposed to keep his self control when it feels like everything Akashi does is an arrow to the heart?





	Questions can be predicaments

Questions can be predicaments  
Midorima Shintarou/Akashi Seijurou

Midorima isn't open with his affections; not even slightly. He enjoys the smaller things like linked hands and coffee together, late conversations and soft words; he's awkward with kisses and contact like hugging, it doesn't come easy to him.  
Where Akashi seems to be constantly taunting him with the light biting of his lips, occasional slight pout and glossy shine as his tongue swipes across it, Midorima's self control prevails in holding back. Or it has until now.  
"Akashi," he begins, unsure of how to proceed and yet keeping to that the beginning is the most difficult. He's proven wrong when Akashi's gaze flicks to him, and the split second eye contact sends shivers right through him. "Yes?"

He freezes, clenching his lucky item of the day- a keychain with a flower - and looks anywhere but the redhead's face.  
Midorima clenches his teeth but knows that once he's called Akashi he can't back out of saying something. He's not Kise, he can't play off calling him just to hear the name. Still, Akashi offers him a way to opt out, albeit phrased in an inquisitive fashion, "Is something the matter, Midorima?"  
He makes the mistake of looking up then, seeing Akashi's soft lips form the shape of his name, and he has half a mind to ask for the other to say his first name. He's 17, this shouldn't be as difficult as it is. Especially since he's already written down a letter for this. It's, of course, pristinely pressed between the pages of his math textbook along with a flower the colour of Akashi's hair. The letter is probably dumb, but he read once that delivering a letter on a lucky day increases the chance of that letter giving good fortune to the sender. Especially confessions.

And yet the words are about to spill past his lips just from watching Akashi talk. The Rakuzan captain furrows his eyebrows, placing one hand against the strap of his bag to compliment the shift of his weight as he asks again, "Midorima?"  
He's glad he didn't answer the first time.  
"I'm sorry, it's nothing."  
"That's not like you at all."  
"...I just misplaced my lucky item," he says, despite it being still clenched in the hand that's in his pocket. 

"Oh, is that so? You should've said so sooner. Would you like me to help you search?"  
"No, there's no need for that, Akashi. It was cheap either way."  
"If I remember right, today's was a keychain for cancer. Of a rose?"  
"Yes. I wasn't aware you followed Oha Asa."  
"I don't, Shintarou," he answers simply, as if that clears the doubts in his head; if anything it doubles them through the reeling sensation of watching Akashi speak his name outside of the Emperor. He thanks his name, the sunlight, Oha Asa and the flicking t-sound of Akashi's tongue when his lips round to form the word.  
Midorima wants to die here without regrets.

Instead he basks in the feeling of knowing Akashi checked out Midorima's horoscope and lucky item while trying desperately to keep his face blank. Despite himself though, his lips quirk up.  
Akashi doesn't seem to notice, too busy pondering how best to help, before he spots a stationary store across the street from where they're walking. He asks Shintarou to wait, pointing to a café as he dashes for the store.  
Midorima almost feels bad for lying about the keychain. He leaves it in his pocket, ordering two drinks after careful deliberation and sitting down. He's almost afraid that his clammy palms would discolour the tape on his fingers, but apparently today it's okay. He sits, meddling with the frame of his glasses as he wonders what Akashi would think of the drink he's ordered when he sees the redhead step through the door.  
His eyes coolly scan the area even after he spots Midorima and he smiles at the barista who looks about ready to help. When Akashi sits down he opens his palm, a coloured metallic rose and it's crystal stems sits in his palm, attached neatly to a key ring; it looks like a work of art. Would he really buy something like this for a temporary situation? Midorima too forgets sometimes, the lengths to which Akashi can and will go. 

He thanks the other, taking the cup on the table in front of him and letting the warmth distract him.  
"It will suffice, I'm sure?"  
"Yes, thank you once again, I'm grateful."  
Akashi smiles, and Midorima's traitorous heart threatens to snap open his jaws and throw itself at Akashi Seijurou's feet.  
Instead he shifts his legs beneath the table and takes a small sip of his drink.  
He's almost completely distracted, until, "Midorima...this is a wonderful flavour. Could you tell me the one you picked later?"  
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was this one," he points to a standup menu by the salt and pepper shakers, and Akashi makes a low sound of acknowledgement that's somewhere between a laugh and confusion.  
"I wonder when it was exactly that you came to know my tastes."  
He's always known. Middle school, high school, shogi, basketball, tea and coffee, Akashi is his everything and he's always known it all.  
"I wonder myself," and then he avoids looking at Akashi no matter the cost. 

The cost, apparently, is Akashi's wary demeanour. He stands further, like Midorima's lapse in attitude is his fault, he pulls his scarf up and keeps his hands in his pockets. And Midorima wants nothing more than to kiss him, even though he can't see his lips, so the truth is- it kind-of is Akashi's fault. Just not in the way he thinks when he wears that expression, the expression that makes him want to shower all his lucky items on him, just to draw a smile.  
"Akashi,"  
"Mm?"  
"Can you...can we...stop for a bit?"  
"My house isn't far, I'll have you dropped back tomorrow."  
He nods and follows, thrilled even though he's gone so many times, seeing Akashi's room is always something special, jitters like a grade schooler and in awe of the ever changing layout.  
Akashi speaks quickly to a maid outside the room and comes inside, shutting the door. Midorima startles, but only slightly, and when Akashi sits at a couch by the coffee table, Midorima follows suite and sits in the chair opposite to him.  
"So? You wanted to discuss something right?"  
"Ah," his unintelligible response can be attributed to that now he's looked up again. In Akashi's eyes swirl uncharacteristic concern, and for Shintarou? He can hardly believe it, is trying to, is flattered that Akashi would expend worry on him, and has to remind himself to breathe.

Akashi is patient, he remains unmoving, and mentally Midorima wonders if perhaps they should've sat by the window next to each other, incase Akashi were to agree. He knows the question, he just can't voice it without regaining his breath, which is hard enough to do even without this unguarded concern Akashi is displaying. The silence between them hangs with the question, like a slowly descending carpet that could suffocate them should he not try to speak soon. But ultimately, it's still Akashi that speaks first, "Midorima? Have I done something to upset you?"  
And then he realises the other's gaze is averted. His eyelashes shade his eyes from full view and his brows scrunch up, contemplative frown splitting his lips.  
Midorima needs to answer so he does, simply, too loud, "No."

Akashi startles, looking at him again as the frown fades out to slight relief, curiosity, his chin rests in his palm as he props his elbow on his knee. Midorima stops trying to think about what exactly he could've phrased it as, or when, or even how.  
"Akashi, can I-"  
He waits politely, five seconds, "Can you?"  
"Can I kiss you?"  
And then he does freeze. His hand drops, back straightens, and for less than a second his eyes are blown wide, lips parted slightly and blush on his cheeks. Midorima thinks he might lose it if he had less self control, but instead he clutches the cheap rose keychain in his pocket, brushing his other hand over the one Akashi had bought. The one he'd bought pokes into his palm, but his hands are shivering anyway and he's careful not to break the other. 

Akashi doesn't delay things. He brushes his hair behind his ear in one smooth motion and nods.  
Midorima wonders if they're taking turns on freezing up.  
When he regains his bearings, Akashi is speaking to him, "Was that...a joke?"  
"No! Cancer's pretty lucky today and I bought the lucky item and then-"  
"You still have it, I'm aware. Did Oha Asa tell you to kiss a stranger?"  
"Akashi you're- the furthest thing from a stranger to me."  
"Oh? And how's that, Shintarou, when you can demand such things as a joke?"  
"That wasn't a joke!"  
Akashi goes silent, lips pursed, clearly waiting for an explanation. Midorima stands up.

"I-," he takes a deep breath, reminds himself he's done everything humanly possible even if he fails, and then goes on, "-really do like you."  
Akashi blushes again, and maybe Midorima is imagining it but he really hopes he isn't.  
Akashi sighs, heavy through his mouth and takes steps closer. Midorima closes the rest of the distance, long strides taking him there further than he can brace himself for because the physical proximity still throws him off.  
Akashi steadies his breathing, though to Midoroma who's been jotting it up to sickness, it seems unnatural. But Akashi has always had more self control than he does.  
It's almost like waiting for his horoscope in the morning, bated breath and crossed fingers, fogged up glasses and a nervous crease in his brow. Still, he waits. Akashi says nothing, nothing for so long that it's almost tempting to look at the wall beside him, but Akashi would catch that, even a flinch in position is obvious to him, like a flashing signboard. Midorima tries to breathe, instead settles on shallow breaths and keeping his fingers crossed and fists clenched. 

"I know, Shintarou," that one sounds like the emperor, but he doesn't care anymore.  
"I like you too," that's _his_ Akashi.  
A shaky smile splits his lips as he leans forward, slow and nervous, craning his neck while Akashi raises his heels slightly. He tilts his head, fingers brushing the other's jaw and like everything that involves Akashi, it's a perfect first kiss. Their lips press softly and then slot together like puzzle pieces, an electric rhythm shooting through him. He shudders. Akashi's fingers find his, and lace together instead of directing Midorima's hand somewhere else.

Only then does he notice that Akashi is shaking too, perhaps from the intensity of the admission he'd just given or just nerves. Either way it's adorable.  
And when Midorima can feel his own smile, he also feels Akashi's pout and bites his lip lightly on impulse.  
This gains enough of an impact to cause the heterochromatic boy to break their kiss with a noise that's definitely bad for Midorima's health.  
But then Akashi steps forward, unnoticeably forward, and it's the comforting tones like this that light him up from the inside. He matches the step, loops his free arm around Akashi's waist and leans forward but the redhead turns away, small smile and flushes cheeks, "You only asked for one."  
"Can I ask for another?"  
"...I suppose you can, one more won't hurt."  
Midorima closes the gap once more, this time he's bending forward and he knows a lot of this would hurt his shoulders and back, but it's alright. For the grin against his lips, for the press of Akashi's, for the arms loosely draped around his neck.  
The soft sigh that escapes the other is more than he could've asked for.

**Author's Note:**

> Ey I'm not dead y'all, this is the second part of my series of Akashi/kiseki no sedai  
> I hope you liked it! Comments and kudos always make me feel better <3  
> I'm at glasspunkart.tumblr.com hmu if you wanna scream about Akashi or KNB in general


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